Ganguly, Joshi save India from greater indignity

At best, the cynics said, Bangladesh can only bat. They don't have the
bowling and fielding to do well in a Test match. Well, over the first
two days of the inaugural Test against India at the Bangabandhu
stadium in Dhaka, the batsmen proved the critics wrong, those who said
that Bangladesh players could bat only for 30 overs and not for six
and seven hours. And on Sunday, the bowlers and fielders made the
cynics eat their words. In fact for long periods, Bangladesh seemed to
have mighty India in a spot of bother and it was only a seventh wicket
partnership of 121 runs between Sourav Ganguly and Sunil Joshi which
saved the visitors the blushes.

The Ganguly-Joshi stand helped India recover a lot of ground and end
the third day of the Test at 366 for seven off 116 overs. With India
only 34 runs behind, an interesting two days lie ahead. There is the
prospect of a keen fight for the first innings lead. And whatever the
lead and whichever team gets it, there is still plenty left to play
for both teams in the match. And whoever thought such a scenario would
be possible midway through this Test match? The pitch is still playing
well except for the inevitable wear and tear and almost any result
looks possible.

And for the match to have reached this stage, all credit must go to
Bangladesh. This was to be the day when Indian batsmanship would break
new records and reach new heights, or so was commonly believed. A
score of something in the region of 400 for four wickets was widely
predicted. But by their resilient qualities, Bangladesh not only kept
the famed Indian batting line up in check but they also took wickets
at regular intervals. And symbolising this fighting spirit was Naimur
Rahman. The 26-year-old captain led from the front in taking five
wickets for 110 off 40 overs with his off spinners. His scalps
included Tendulkar and Ganguly.

And yet when Sadagopan Ramesh and Murali Kartik started the
proceedings confidently enough, the stage did seem set for a massive
Indian reply. The first inclination that all would not go India's way
came when Ramesh was bowled by Ranjan Das. The 18-year-old left arm
medium pacer, yet to play a ODI, was pushed into the Test team and the
gamble paid off when the left handed Ramesh, playing forward, was
beaten by the pace and bounce and the ball brushed his bat on the way
to hitting the off and middle stumps. Ramesh's 58 was compiled off 92
balls and he hit six fours.

Nightwatchman Murali Kartik doggedly held on and Rahul Dravid started
in fluent fashion. However on 28, Dravid was caught at short leg by Al
Shahriar off Naimur Rahman. But even though India were now 155 for
three, with Tendulkar and Ganguly to come, there was no need for
panic.

The small crowd gave Tendulkar a big cheer but he did not last long.
He was declared out by umpire Steve Bucknor, caught at short leg by
substitute fielder Rajin Saleh off Naimur. The substitute was
necessitated following an injury to wicketkeeper Khaled Masud who was
hit on the knee as a ball from Hasibul Hussein beat Ramesh. Shahriar
Hoosein took over the duty behind the wickets. With Murali Karthik
having gone just before this, also dismissed by the same combination,
India were now 190 for five and suddenly in a spot of bother.

The rescue act was initiated by Ganguly and Saba Karim. The two added
46 runs for the sixth wicket off 15.3 overs and looked good for many
more when the wicketkeeper was out in strange circumstances. He went
forward to Naimur Rahman and the next thing everyone saw were the
stumps being disturbed. Even as excited shouts of 'bowled' echoed all
over the ground, it was quickly apparent that the ball had come off
Shahriar Hoosain's pads and then hit the stumps. Unsure of what
exactly had happened, umpires Shepherd and Bucknor referred the matter
to the third umpire. TV replays confirmed that the ball had indeed
ricocheted off Hoosain's pads but more importantly, at the moment the
ball had hit the stumps, Karim's foot was just outside the crease.
After an agonizingly long wait when match referee Raman Subba Row was
seen talking on the walkie talkie to the umpires, the red light came
on signalling Karim's exit. A bit unfortunate to be stumped this way,
Karim was out under law 39-2 (a) which states ''the batsman is out
stumped if the ball rebounds on to the stumps from any part of the
wicketkeeper's person or equipment other than a protective helmet.''

With six down for 236, the repair work had to start all over again.
Ganguly's graceful batting continued to provide a ray of sunshine and
now he found an able partner in Sunil Joshi. Coming together just
before tea, the two proceeded to wrest the initiative. Despite the
grim situation, both went for their strokes. Joshi matched his more
illustrious partner with some bold lofted shots, while Ganguly
remained elegance personified. They even caused the removal of Naimur
Rahman from the attack. He had an unchanged spell of 27-3-89-3 today
and he was easily the best bowler on view. Joshi now pressed on the
accelerator and took ten runs off three deliveries from Habibul
Bashar. In the first hour after the break, India scored 59 runs from
14 overs, the brightest phase of the innings.

Joshi pulled left arm spinner Rafique to the mid wicket fence to reach
his maiden half century in Tests. By now the 31-year-old all rounder
from Karnataka was outscoring Ganguly as the partnership became the
highest of the innings and proceeded merrily towards the three figure
mark which was duly reached off 138 balls. Runs came freely now as if
to mock at the earlier batsmen. The siege had been lifted and the
counter attack had commenced. Under its influence, the bowling became
wayward and the fielding wilted.

The 350 came up and suddenly the Bangladesh total of 400 had come
within sight. Interest now shifted on whether the Indian captain would
reach his hundred before stumps and whether the two batsmen would come
in unbeaten. But in the last half hour, Ganguly and Joshi put up the
shutters, hoping to carry on their good work tomorrow. That was not to
be for Ganguly suddenly got a rush of blood, jumped out to Naimur
Rahman, who had returned to the attack, and holed out to Al Shahriar
at long on. Ganguly's 84 was compiled off 153 balls and he hit five
boundaries. Like the seventh wicket partnership which realised 121
runs off 32.3 overs, Ganguly's was an invaluable knock.

The light by now was murky but Ajit Agarkar and Joshi played out the
last few overs. No praise can be too high for Joshi who by stumps had
hit eight fours in his 71 for which he faced 112 balls. One must not
forget he already has a five wicket haul in this match.